Hi I need some help please! I have a lovely 2 1/2 year old chocolate lab. During the past year she has had both knees operated on and that has been really successful but involved 3 months crate rest each time. So training had to start anew! She can do all the basics sit, stay, come and I am working on heel as per the recall training posts as she has a habit of pulling on the lead. But the thing I need halo with is this. We live in the country and our cottage leads onto a long drive which leads to a country road. Whenever one of us leaves the door open by mistake she takes the opportunity to leave and run up to the farm across the way. My worry is the traffic that although is quite light might lead to her or worse a driver having an accident. I have tried the opening and shutting the door while she sits and that works while we are looking but.... Any help would be great Wendy
Re: Opportunist! Hi Wendy and welcome to the forum from me Helen, Hattie 6 years and Charlie 2 3/4 years. Your poor girl has had a rough time bless her I wonder if you could fit a baby gate in front of the door? at least it would keep her safe. Whats your girls name? Good luck with the training. Helen x
Re: Opportunist! Could you put a gate at the end of the drive, until you have are sure she will not run out? I think safety is the most important thing - even the best trained dog will rush out if there is a squirrel or a cat outside, so perhaps better to be safe than sorry... And welcome to the forum!
Re: Opportunist! Hi Wendy, and welcome to the forum. Where traffic and roads are concerned, I think physical barriers are the way to go. No matter how well you train your dog to sit, wait etc, the risks are just too great. So it isn't really a training issue. Baby gates indoors when you have external doors being opened and closed frequently are a really good safety net, unless your dog is a keen 'jumper'. And fence/gates around the garden if you want your dog to be outdoors unsupervised. Pippa
Re: Opportunist! Thanks for all your good advice. I think we will need to invest in a couple of 5 bar gates as the drive is quite wide but I am desperate to keep her safe. W
